Sparkling by the track

Editors' Blogs

At 10am on race day the team from Calleija arrived at my hotel with instructions and a few tips for wearing diamonds. “Diamonds love grease,” they advised. “Put your perfume and moisturiser on before you put the jewellery on.”

I’d been given a set of exquisite diamond studs for my ears (and at 2 carats and almost $33,000 each, they were nothing to sneeze at) but they paled in comparison to the ring – an enormous diamond creation, the kind usually reserved for the red carpet or royalty. Set in platinum and surrounded by tiny pink Argyle diamonds, it was worth a small fortune (I’ll just say that it could cover most mortgages) and had me saddled with two very attentive security guards for the day. “The gems needed to be big, bold and vibrant, which is what the atmosphere of Magic Millions is all about,” said internationally acclaimed jeweller John Calleija.

At my insistence – I wanted to make sure the sparklers were safely strapped in my earlobes - the Calleija team helped me secure my earrings in place. Flanked by my security guards, I was escorted to Moët & Chandon’s VIP marquee.

The jewels were certainly a good conversation starter. The claw setting allowed the ring to radiate light, with many women in particular (no surprise) showing serious admiration.

A few hours later, I reluctantly handed the jewels back over to Calleija, because, as it turned out, we had a buyer. “Big diamonds have become very popular lately. I think everyone’s over the dull times of the GFC, and they don’t mind sparkling,” Calleija told me later that day. Truthfully, I don’t think anyone has ever minded sparkling – I certainly didn’t.

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